Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décongeler

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The English translation of the French verb décongeler is “to defrost” or “to thaw.” The infinitive form of décongeler is pronounced “day-kohn-zhuh-lay.”

Décongeler comes from the French words “dé-” meaning “undo” and “congeler” meaning “to freeze.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu décongelasses le poulet avant de le faire cuire. (I wished that you would defrost the chicken before cooking it.)

  2. Il fallait que nous décongelions les légumes pour le dîner. (We had to thaw the vegetables for dinner.)

  3. Je préférais que vous décongeliez le gâteau avant de le servir. (I would prefer if you would defrost the cake before serving it.)

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décongeler

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décongelasse Si je pouvais, je décongelasse le repas avant de le manger. If I could, I would defrost the meal before eating it.
tu décongelasses Si tu avais le temps, tu décongelasses la viande avant de la cuisiner. If you had time, you would defrost the meat before cooking it.
il décongelât Il serait meilleur si il décongelât les légumes avant de les manger. It would be better if he defrosted the vegetables before eating them.
elle décongelât Elle serait ravie si elle décongelât le pain avant de le manger. She would be happy if she defrosted the bread before eating it.
on décongelât Si on décongelât la glace, on pourrait la manger sans se blesser. If one defrosted the ice, one could eat it without getting hurt.
nous décongelassions Si nous décongelassions le poulet, nous pourrions le faire cuire. If we defrosted the chicken, we could cook it.
vous décongelassiez Si vous décongelassiez le poisson, vous pourriez le manger cru. If you defrosted the fish, you could eat it raw.
ils décongelassent S’ils décongelassent le gâteau, il serait plus facile à couper. If they defrosted the cake, it would be easier to cut.
elles décongelassent Si elles décongelassent les fruits, on pourrait en faire un smoothie. If they defrosted the fruits, one could make a smoothie with them.

Other Conjugations for Décongeler.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler (this article)

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décongeler

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Décongeler – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb décongeler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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